


these walls

by Onyxim



Category: Tiny Meat Gang (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wings, Angst, Eventual Smut, Humor, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:21:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22733221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onyxim/pseuds/Onyxim
Summary: Noel lived a relatively quiet life alone. That is, y'know, until he stumbled upon an angel.
Relationships: Cody Ko/Noel Miller
Comments: 20
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> does anyone else remember maximum ride??? yeah

Noel was walking Ollie. It was hot as fuck outside. The sun bore down with a burning vengeance, taking its anger out on the poor concrete. Ollie panted and huffed, but trotted along seemingly without a care in the world. Noel wiped sweat from his brow and prayed that Ollie would want to go home soon. 

Ollie stopped and snuffled at a nearby patch of grass. Noel thanked a higher being and sat down on the nearest bench, pulling out his phone and scrolling quickly through Twitter as Ollie did his business. Not much to see - his feed had been relatively dry all day. An article here, a shade post there, lots of memes. 

"'Science facility explodes in Northern California,'" he read. "'Best Grammy outfits of 2020.'" He scrolled some more. "'Coronavirus destined to kill millions.'" He rolled his eyes and sighed. Sitting back, defeated, he itched to do something with his hands. 

Ollie suddenly barked sharply and took off running. 

"Ollie - Ollie, _no!_ Oh, god _dammit._ " Noel leapt from the bench and chased after him as best as he could with two legs in the sweltering heat. Ollie barreled forward, barking and yipping, until he disappeared into a small woodlot of trees. Noel felt his heart speed up, and hoped to God that we wasn't about to lose his dog.

"Ollie!" he shouted, once he was no longer in sight. "Ollie!" 

He heard distant high-pitched yips to his right. Stepping carefully over fallen branches and other foliage, Noel crept closer to the sound. 

Ollie was standing with his ears pulled back, teeth showing in a snarl at something slumped on a tree. 

"Ollie, what are you - oh." 

It was a guy. A guy who seemed to be teetering in and out of consciousness.

"Oh!" 

Noel knelt down and placed a hand on the guy's shoulder. Something brown and huge was behind him, and he wondered if that had anything to do with his state. Either that, or he was completely strung out on some kind of drug. 

However, as Noel gave him a once-over, that didn't seem to be the case. There was a dark red splotch of blood on his right shoulder, and by the looks of it, the wound was fresh. 

"Oh, fuck!" Noel lightly patted the man's face. "Hey, hey, dude. Are you with me?" 

The man in response groaned, his eyes rolling open. They were glazed, unfocused, but at least he was still conscious.

"Hey. Are you alright?" 

The guy stared a second, and then his eyes flew open, frighteningly lucid. He shouted and sprang away from Noel as best as he could. The force sent Noel on his ass with a grunt, and Ollie picked up his barking. 

Noel was too busy gawking. 

Wings.

Huge, golden brown wings. 

"Uh." 

The guy, if that's even what he was, was holding his wounded shoulder, his stance defensive. One of his wings was stretched outward at its full length, the other drooped towards the ground and was just as covered in blood as his shirt. 

"Who the fuck are you?" the guy shouted, his eyes wild, and Noel was surprised by the lack of a tremor in his voice despite his very obvious wound. He'd aggravated the injury, it seemed, because blood pulsed from his clasped fingers. 

Noel scrambled to his feet with his hands up in surrender, like he was coaxing a startled animal. "Look, I'm not sure what happened, and I don't know who you are either, but you're bleeding a lot, man. You gotta get to a hospital or something." 

The guy went pale suddenly, stumbling. "No hospitals. _No hospitals."_

Noel immediately rushed to keep the man standing, getting blood on his own T-shirt. "I, oh god." His stomach rolled and he took a deep breath through his nose. "Okay, well, we'll start with your name. What's your name?" 

The man seemed to swoon for a moment before he muttered, "Cody." 

"Okay, Cody. How'd you get here? Where are you from?" 

"I don't. . .explosion. There was an explosion. I. . .escaped." Cody looked up at him with defeated, tired eyes. "I escaped." And he was out, his weight falling into Noel's arms.

"Ah, _shit_. Shit, shit, shit, shit. _Fuck!"_

Noel didn't know to do. What the hell was he gonna do with a winged dying dude? How the hell was he gonna get him somewhere safe?

Home.

His best bet was his apartment until he could figure out who, if there was anyone, to call. 

Noel awkwardly maneuvered Cody, who was surprisingly lightweight, onto his back. His wings were drooping now, and touched the forest floor. The blood hadn't stopped.

"Okay," he breathed. "Okay. What the fuck do I do now?" 

He looked at Ollie. "What the fuck do I do now, Ollie?" 

Ollie was still fixed on the winged being on his owner's back. He said nothing.

"Thanks," Noel said. 

He could take the back way. His apartment complex was only about a block away. He'd have to walk through a ton of backyards, but it was the only way he wouldn't be seen. 

Hoisting Cody higher, drawing a groan out of the man, he began his trek. 

* * *

It took about ten minutes to hightail it to his place. Ollie trotted near his legs, protective. He shoved the key in the door and stared at his living room, and wondered how he was supposed to sit a winged person on a couch. He settled on resting him on his back, one wing scruched into the couch cushions and the other - the injured one - stretched out limp on his carpet. It looked like both his shoulder and the top of his wing where it sprouted from his back had been clipped with something. _A bullet, maybe_ , he realized with a sinking feeling. 

Noel scoured his bathroom for as many first-aid supplies as he could. He found a box of Band-Aids, single-use gauze, and gauze pads. No alcohol or anything. Noel cursed under his breath. He'd have to run to the store for more, but this would have to do in the meantime.

When he stepped back into the living room, Ollie was sniffing at the wing that was stretched out on the floor. Then he barked once, glanced at Noel, and stepped away like he'd get in trouble if he continued. Which was weird, because Ollie barked at everything. Now the dog sat on his hind legs and stared intensely at the unconscious form before him, still and silent. 

Noel knelt beside the wing and examined it. Its feathers were brown that shone gold at different angles. Some of them fell out and onto the carpet, covered in blood. The wound was aligned with the clip in his shoulder, and Noel deduced uneasily that he'd had to have been shot at. He unraveled a decent amount of gauze from the roll and wrapped it around the wound on his wing.

Cody groaned again, his body tensing. His eyes shot open again, and he sat up quickly.

"Cody! Cody, it's just me." 

Panicked eyes met with his. "W-what?" 

"It's me. I'm just. . .wrapping you up." He lamely gestured at the supplies on the floor. "To uh, stop the bleeding." 

Cody seemed to relax a little, but his shoulders remained tense. "Oh." He shivered. "It's so cold. God, it's so cold." 

"Oh shit. Hold on, I'll get you a blanket." Noel pulled the throw blanket off of his loveseat and handed it to Cody, who draped it over the front of himself, frighteningly pale and trembling.

"Where am I," Cody mumbled, his eyes drooping. 

"Hm? Oh, uh, my apartment. Didn't wanna leave you out there." He meant for it to come out jokingly, but it came out genuine and sincere. He cleared his throat and moved toward Cody again, who flinched away. 

"Hey, hey," he said, as soothingly as he could. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I wanna help." 

Cody looked skeptical, but shrugged his T-shirt down so Noel could look at his shoulder. 

It looked extremely painful. A decent chunk of skin had been taken out of it. The blood had begun to clot haphazardly. Noel felt a wave of lightheadedness and forced himself to gently lay a few gauze pads on it before wrapping it with a layer of gauze tape.

"There," Noel said softly, examining his work with a nod. He stood. "How do you feel?" 

Cody's brows furrowed in concentration before he groaned again, and Noel noticed his injured wing flexing weakly. "I think - I think it's broken. I can't move it." 

"Oh," was all Noel said, not having much else to say. He didn't know how to fix that. Did they have casts for wings? Should he call a vet? 

"What do you think happened?" Noel asked as gently as he could, sitting on the couch. He noticed that Cody wasn't wearing shoes, just some sort of hospital socks. 

"I remember the explosion," Cody murmured, his voice tiny and fragile. "And - Kelsey, she wanted to escape, but they nearly got us, we were nearly out, and then I was flying and I looked back and she wasn't there and then it _hurt_ and then I fell and I - " 

Cody's cheeks were wet with tears. They seemed to fall on their own accord. " _Kelsey_. I've gotta go back for her. I _left_ her there, oh God, it's all my fault - " 

"Hey, hey," Noel said, recognizing the signs of the impending panic attack, "I'm sorry, but you can't go back like this. Your wing needs to heal. And I'm sure Kelsey would want you coming back for her at full-strength, yeah?" He wanted nothing more than to pry, but whatever trauma had happened still seemed very, very ripe. 

Cody looked like he wanted to argue, but he sighed and stared down at his lap. 

"Listen. I can make something for you to eat, maybe find some clothes for you to wear, because, uh." He gestured at the blood soaked shirt and his sweatpants, which were covered in dirt. "Yeah. Here, come on." 

Noel got up and offered his hand. Cody, albeit unsteadily, stood up and hesitantly grabbed his palm. Noel led him to his bedroom and headed for the closet, pulling out a pair of basketball shorts that were a size too big for him but would fit Cody perfectly. 

  
"Uh, I don't have any shirts for winged-people," Noel said, smiling. Cody returned it, though it was small and weary. "What should I do?" 

"Well, mine are usually. . ." Cody turned so he could see. It was similar to a hospital shirt. It was lined with snap-buttons that were fitted around the mass of his wings. 

"Huh. Yeah, I don't got any of those. Is shirtless okay? I don't mind." 

Cody looked uncertain. "Um. Yeah. That's fine. I'll be fine." 

"Well, good. I'll let you change. What do you want to eat?" 

Cody shrugged. "I'm. . .not sure. I'm okay with anything, really." 

"Cool. Let me know if you need help, okay?" 

"Okay." 

Noel gave him a small smile and left, closing the door softly behind him with a click. He leaned against the door, sighing and rubbing a hand down his face. 

Whatever he'd gotten himself into, there wasn't a great possibility he was going to get out of it soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Ollie was lapping away at his water bowl, seemingly back to normal. Noel opened his fridge and groaned. Nothing he had could feed two people. He settled on ordering two pizzas, so he'd at least have something for leftovers until he got to the store.

After he hung up the phone, he stood in his living room, staring with disdain at the blood on his carpet and couch cushions. It was going to be hell to clean up, even more so to explain to the people he was going to have to hire to clean it. 

The door opened shyly, and Noel wasn't mad anymore. Cody was, well. "Fit" was an understatement. 

"I see they fit," Noel said, pointedly ignoring the way his shorts stretched around Cody's thighs. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah. They do." Cody stepped out from the room like he was afraid of something. His injured wing was folded carefully, the other one brushed the walls of Noel's tiny hallway. He covered his chest kind of awkwardly. 

"Hey, man, don't be shy," Noel teased. "We're both adults."

Face aflame, Cody uncovered himself. He looked completely normal, save for a few scars, and. . .

Noel raised an eyebrow. "You don't have a bellybutton?" 

"A what?" Cody looked down at himself. 

Noel got up and pointed at the missing part in question. "A belly button. It's a small hole, right here." He lifted up his T-shirt. "See?" 

Cody examined Noel's stomach with awe. "What's it for?" 

"Well it, uh. Not for anything, really. It's just when you're born, and they cut the umbilical chord, that's what's left." 

"Oh." Cody seemed to understand something. He shrugged and sighed. "Okay. Well, that's why I don't have one. I wasn't born." 

Noel's mind short-circuited. "What?" 

"I wasn't born. . .traditionally. I was. . .grown, to put it in simpler terms."

He blinked. "Like. . .like a _plant?"_

Cody smiled. "Yeah, like a plant." 

"Why?!" He was legitimately appalled. 

"Gene-splicing." His left wing twitched, brushing the wall. "Hence these." 

Noel felt enticed by the way the feathers reflected gold in the sunlight filtering in from his living room window. "Can I. . .?" 

Cody looked suddenly panicked again. "I - uh -" 

"Oh. Oh! No, bro, it's okay, I just. They're. . .pretty. But I don't wanna touch them if you're uncomfortable." 

"Yeah, I just. . ." Cody's hand went to the back of his neck. "Um. Touching is really, uh." 

"Yeah - I totally understand. Really."

They both stood there, close and awkward. The silence was interrupted by Cody's stomach growling, to which he reddened. Noel gave an endearing smile.

"I ordered pizza. Just plain pepperoni, if you don't mind. I wasn't sure what you liked." He smirked. "Maybe bird feed." 

That got a giggle out of Cody, and he didn't know why, but it made Noel feel warm inside. 

"Well, I'm gonna go change out of this shirt, because it's absolutely ruined." Noel pulled at the collar, examining the damage and, yep, he'd definitely have to throw it away. It was not salvagable. 

"Sorry," Cody said sheepishly. 

"Dude, don't apologize about nearly bleeding to death. I'll be right back, okay?" 

He slipped in his room and rifled through his closet for something decent. He settled on a plain black shirt and was about to leave his room when he heard the front door open. 

Noel stuck his head out of the room. He saw Cody standing at the front door and a gawking pizza man. The guy looked both confused and terrified, his eyes wide. Cody plucked the pizzas from his hands and closed the door. 

"Cody!" Noel raced over to the window and saw the guy still standing on his front porch, rubbing his eyes before walking away dazedly. 

"What?" Cody said, setting the boxes on Noel's kitchen island. "Didn't you order these?" 

"Yeah but - Cody, I needed to _pay him_. And _winged_ _people_ aren't common, you can't just go opening doors and shit." 

"Hm?" Cody had already begun stuffing a slice in his face, tomato sauce gathering at the corners of his lips. 

"I - nevermind. Do you like it?" He took a seat, watching with amusement as he began wolfing down a second slice. 

"Mmhmm." Cody blushed and swallowed. "Sorry. I'm really hungry." He chomped off another piece. "My metabolism is really, really high, so I need a lot of energy." He licked his lips. "So I eat a lot." 

"I see." Noel watched him put away a third slice. _There go my leftovers._

By the time they'd finished eating, Noel had eaten three pieces, and Cody polished off the rest. He looked utterly content, a sleepy smile on his face. 

Noel wasn't sure if he could get anymore surprised, but the complete lack of discomfort in Cody really threw him for a loop. "How. . .are you not full?" 

"I burn a lot of energy, remember?" Cody stretched, one of his wings extending to its full height and touching Noel's ceiling. "Mm." 

"So I don't wanna get all up in your business or anything," Noel began, "but where'd you come from again?" 

Cody stilled. He looked at Noel, and then stared at his lap, sighing.

"Like I said. Don't wanna stir anything up, but if you're gonna stay here, which I assume you are because I can't let you leave like this, I gotta know some stuff. But you don't have to answer if you don't want to." Noel stared at Cody expectantly, quirking an eyebrow. 

Cody's eyes had gone stony, his relaxed mask slipping. 

"Okay." 

* * *

"I came from a science facility about forty miles from here," Cody explained, perched on a stool because sitting on a surface with a back was uncomfortable for his wings. "I was grown initially as a. . .secret weapon. Kind of. I'm not sure what my purpose is." 

That made Noel's heart clench. He remained silent, and let him continue. 

"They taught us things. Things about the outside. We had school every other day. Training was on the other days. On Wednesdays, we got to go into the Dome to fly around. That was my favorite day, because we got to see the sun.

"It was me and seven others. Kelsey was my cagemate. We'd shared a room for years. Her wings were white." A small, nostalgic smile. "She was my light. She always found a way to see the better side of things, even when. . ." He stopped. Inhaled. "Even when they were poking us with needles and forcing us to do tests and _torturing us_ and. . ." 

"It's okay," Noel coaxed. "Don't think about that." 

"Right." Cody took a shaky breath. "All we wanted, what we _all_ wanted, was to escape. The opportunity never presented itself. Until, well, the explosion." 

"I read about that," Noel murmured. 

"Yeah. Happened on the second level, I think. Blew a hole in the side of the building." He shook his head, blinked away tears. "The force blew open our cells - they were made of glass. Everything was on fire. Kelsey immediately knew that it was time to take our chance. She flew out and I went after her. And then security came and started firing tranquilizers. The smoke got really thick. I couldn't see much. The tranqs stopped and then the bullets came. I guess they decided if they couldn't keep us in then they'd keep us from getting out." 

"What about Kelsey?" 

"Kelsey. . .she. . .I didn't see her. She got far, sounded like she was fighting. But I heard her scream. And - " The tears fell freely now. "and then nothing. Nothing. She didn't make a sound. I flew out because the smoke got so. . . _suffocating_. I got clipped on the way out and I was above the building and I waited and she never came but I got so dizzy and it was hard to breathe - so much smoke and then part of the building collapsed and I just _left_. I left and I kept going until I couldn't even keep my eyes open and there was so much blood and then I just. I fell." 

By the time he'd finished, Noel was standing by his side, rubbing his back and letting him muffle his sobs into his shirt. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He was never much for consoling, hell, he barely held himself together sometimes. But something. . .something made him want to protect Cody, and he never wanted to see him cry again. 

"Shh," Noel said, his voice soft. "You're safe here. Kelsey is alright. She sounds like a strong girl."

"She'd whoop my ass if she ever had the chance," Cody said quietly, and Noel chuckled.

"Yeah. Wimp like yo ass? I'm sure she'd wipe the floor with you." 

Cody sniffled and laughed, wiping his eyes. His face was blotchy, his eyes puffy. Noel smiled down at him. 

"How about this. You should get some sleep. I can give you some painkillers, unless you burn through 'em quick." 

"I probably will. Going to need anesthetic for that." He smiled weakly. "I'll manage." 

"Good. You can take my bed. I'll take the couch." 

"What? No, don't do that." 

_"Dude_. With them big ass things? I don't think you'd fit on the couch." Noel snickered. 

Cody giggled, and Noel felt his heart flutter.

 _Oh boy. You're in deep, motherfucker_. 

* * *

He's ashamed to say that he waited until Cody fell asleep to leave his bedroom and close the door. He'd stared a minute, the way his eyelashes brushed his cheeks and his dark, chestnut hair flopped on his face. His uninjured wing stretched languidly along the expanse of Noel's bed, the other lay limp. Noel took a shuddering breath and closed the door.

It was still quite light outside. It wasn't even seven o' clock yet. The sun shone orange rays into his apartment. Ollie was sleeping soundly on his dogbed, but perked up when Noel fell into his love seat with a heavy sigh. He trotted over and stood on his hind legs, asking to be put on the couch. Noel picked him up and Ollie curled up in his lap, staring into Noel's eyes intently, in a way that said, "Well?" 

He just sighed and scratched absentmindedly at Ollie's back, trying to process what had just happened. Two hours ago - _two hours!_ \- he'd stumbled upon a bleeding bird boy, carried him home, patched him up as he bled all over his furniture, fed him pizza, and let him sleep in his bed, his sanctuary. 

Well, it was official.

"I'm fucking _whipped,"_ he told Ollie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this during a four hour ride from florida to georgia. im going back to missouri tomorrow (9 hour drive) so ill probably drop another chapter :)


	3. Chapter 3

Noel woke up to screaming. 

He'd passed out on the couch, Ollie curled up on his stomach. They both sat up, Ollie's immediate response to bark and growl in the direction that blood-curdling screaming came from.

His bedroom.

_Cody_.

Noel hopped off of the couch and nearly ran the short distance from his couch to the bedroom. He flung open the door.

Cody was screaming, limbs flailing, hands grasping at the sheets. One of his wings flapped hysterically, stirring items around the room and sending feathers into the air. He was trapped in a nightmare.

Noel was at the bedside in an instant, trying to wake him up. "Cody! Cody, man, wake _up!"_

Cody only continued to shriek. He was flushed and red, sweat seeping into the sheets. Noel didn't need to touch him to know he'd had a fever. 

He cursed and flung the covers off of him. Cody was radiating heat, and didn't seem to be at all responsive to Noel's attempts to calm him down. The screaming only continued. His injured wing contorted in a manner that made Noel nauseous. 

It went on for five more grueling minutes. By the time Cody's tortured howling had stopped, his voice had gone hoarse. Finally, he fell limp on the bed, and Noel sighed with relief. He went into his bathroom and wet a wash cloth with cold water, before returning to place it gently on Cody's forehead, as he'd seen in movies. He didn't know much else. It'd been years since he'd had a fever, and for the most part he could manage it. He remembered drinking lots of water and sleeping, waking up shivering and in a puddle of sweat. It had passed within a day or so. 

However, this was a genetically enhanced bird boy with a gun wound, whom was unconscious and probably would not wake up to drink a glass of water. 

Noel sat on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands. The wound. Of course. He'd probably gotten an infection under Noel's poor care. Noel, who hadn't even bothered to sterilize it, because all he had in his stupid bathroom was gauze. 

He debated making a trip to Walgreen's, but he couldn't bear the thought of leaving him alone. What if he had a seizure or something? What if Noel came back and he was. . .

No, he wouldn't think about that. He also couldn't leave Cody alone. 

He needed help. 

* * *

"You've got a fuckin' weird grocery list," Spock said over the phone. "What do you need all of this shit for?" 

"Restocking my first aid kit," Noel lied smoothly. "All I have are Band-Aids." 

"What are you prepping for, World War III? Do you even _know_ how to stitch?" 

"Hey man. Bathrooms are the most dangerous room in the house." Noel was on Google, doing as much research as he could about preventing infections and lowering a fever. "All sorts of shit could happen. I could slip and break my dick or something." 

"Why would you ever need to stitch your dick?" The sound of bags rustling, and then the shutting of a car door. "Wouldn't you just, like, get a cast?" 

"Guess it depends. Would it have to be hard or soft?" 

"Okay, I'm done with this conversation. I'm outside, dude."

Noel stood up from his couch. He opened his front door and, sure enough, there was Spock, holding out the bag of medical supplies.

"Thanks, man." Noel peered inside the bag. More gauze, aspirin, iodine and alcohol, a needle and thread. For the most part, he hoped he wouldn't have to do that, because he didn't know how to suture a wound, but if worse came to worse, he'd either do it himself or find someone to do it. 

"So what do you need this stuff for again?" Spock stepped inside and petted Ollie in greeting, who'd been standing nearby. 

"My first-aid kit, remember?" Noel closed the door. 

"Since when do you have a first-aid kit?" 

"Since when are you so nosy?" Noel set the bag on the kitchen island. "Maybe I just want to be prepared." 

Spock made a noncommittal noise, scratching Ollie's belly. "Well, anyway. Wanna hang out? I don't have anything else to do." 

Noel pretended to wince. "Ah, sorry man. Gotta finish catching up on some work that I missed. That's why I couldn't leave." 

"Were you working and decided all of a sudden that you needed medical supplies?" Spock smirked.

"Shut the hell up," Noel said, but he was smirking too.

"Just hit me up man. I haven't seen you in, like, two weeks." 

"I know, I'm sorry. I've been really busy." _Especially_ _today_. "Maybe one of these days we'll have a jam session or somethin'. Work has been actually driving me crazy. I need to fuckin' vent. Y'know, through music." 

"Bet. I've got this sick ass beat that I - holy shit." 

"What?" Noel turned to look at him, wondering what had suddenly prompt him to cut himself off. Spock's eyes had gone wide behind his glasses, and he was looking in the direction of his bedroom. Noel followed his gaze. 

Cody was standing in the hallway, hand tightly holding his bloody shoulder.

"Holy _shit,"_ Spock said again. 

"Cody, what are you doing awake?" Noel was surprised to see him even standing on his own two feet. Cody wobbled a bit, and Noel was instantly there to steady him. "Go lay back down, man," he murmured, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead, which was inhumanly hot, "you still feel pretty feverish." 

"My shoulder hurts," he whined, his eyes glassy and unfocused. "It hurts. Everything hurts."

"I know. I have something for that. Here, come on. I'll bring you some painkillers and some water." 

He lead Cody back into his bedroom and coaxed him back into bed. The winged-man's eyes fell shut as soon as he hit the mattress. Noel made sure he had fallen back asleep before he replaced the cool washcloth on his head and stepped back out, only to be met with Spock rubbing furiously at his eyes. 

"Am I dreaming," Spock exclaimed, placing his glasses back on his face, "or was that a fucking _bird-man_ standing in your hallway?!" 

"I can explain," Noel said instead.

"How can you explain - " 

"I found him," Noel interrupted with a heavy sigh. "He was all fucked up. Someone'd shot him. I couldn't just leave him for dead."

". . .Dude, he has _wings."_

"I am aware. Thank you, Spock." 

"No. Dude. How long can you actually, like, keep him here? He'd never be able to go outside. People would be all over him. Wherever he came from, they might be looking for him too." 

"I could just tell people it's a costume," he said weakly.

"Where did he come from, exactly?" 

"That science facility a few miles from here." 

"Dude! The one that _exploded?_ " 

"I couldn't just leave him there!" 

"A _government-owned_ facility? Oh yeah, they're definitely gonna fuckin' come after you." 

_"So?"_ he blurted, and promptly stopped.

Spock blinked. 

Noel blinked back.

Neither of them moved for a second. Then, 

"You're fuckin' whipped, aren't you?" 

Noel hesitated. "No." 

"You wanna fuck the bird boy." 

"Dude, I've known him for a day. I'm not - I don't - "

"Bullshit!" Spock was laughing now, and Noel felt his ears burning. "Dude. Don't even lie. You think he's hot." 

"Well, I mean - "

"Noel I can't believe you're a fucking furry." 

"Oh, gross, don't even make it about that, man." He shook his head, and Spock only laughed harder. Noel had to join him soon after, because the absurdity of the situation had finally caught up to him. 

"Aye, in all seriousness," he said somewhat solemnly when their giggles died down, "I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do. It was an impulse decision. Couldn't just leave him there, man, especially after he told me what they did to him." He shook his head, recalling the way Cody's eyes had gone wide with fear as he explained the torture he'd endured. "I can't just. . .I know that's where he came from but I can't let him go back. I just can't." 

Spock nodded understandingly. "Yeah. I didn't mean to get all pessimistic. Just wondering if you had, like, a plan." 

"Not at all." He glanced at the medical supplies on his table. "And as far as this stuff. . .it was for him. They clipped him pretty good. Don't know how to use any of this shit, though. I fucked up somewhere, because he's got a fever now." 

Spock hummed. "I think if you clean it and make sure to replace the dressing every once in a while, he'll be alright." 

"Look at you. Thanks, Dr. House." 

"Shut the hell up. My mom was a nurse." He paused. "Also, Chicago Med." He stood up and stretched. "Well, thanks for showing me the human science experiment you're harboring. What are you gonna do now?" 

"Well. Figure I'll try and force some aspirin down his throat to bring the fever down. Then I'll probably see if I can - " 

Spock was snickering. 

"What," Noel said, long-suffering, because he knew exactly what he was about to say.

"That better be the only thing you force down his throat," Spock said, finger-gunned in his direction, and turned to leave. 

"There you have it, everybody." Noel clapped mockingly. "There it is. Joke of the century." 

"Thank you, thanks for having me." Spock bowed, and then closed the front door behind him. 

Noel heaved a sigh for maybe the fifteenth time that day and sat down at his kitchen island. He warily eyed the medical items. Was it even really safe to put iodine on such an open wound? He'd heard that shit stung. He could only imagine the pain Cody would have to experience, especially in the gash in his wing, which was no doubt connected to a bunch of nerves. He shuddered. Fuck, what had he gotten himself into? Playing doctor? He wasn't a professional. He couldn't just go putting stitches on people, or dousing a wound in burning, stinging iodine. If he didn't do it right, he could seriously fuck Cody up. . .and he really, really didn't want that. 

He returned to Google, his only safe bet. Most websites recommended that he get his "patient" to a hospital immediately. However, that wasn't an option, as his patient had wings and could barely keep his eyes open. 

For the websites that actually provided useful advice, they relayed what Spock said about cleaning and redressing the wound. It sounded simple enough. He'd just have to do it quickly, and get it over with, so he didn't cause Cody anymore pain. 

Decision made, Noel padded his way to his room, medical supplies in hand. From behind the door, he heard noises. When he opened it, they became clearer. Whimpers. Scared, tortured noises that made Noel's heart seize. 

Cody wasn't writhing as violently as he was earlier, but he shifted restlessly in his sleep, brows furrowed. Noel stood at his side, placing a hand on his forehead where the wet washcloth had fallen off. Not nearly as bad as it was before, but still pretty hot. He could only imagine what he was dreaming about, and he hated that he couldn't help. 

He very carefully unwrapped the gauze from his shoulder and wing as best as he could, and winced. Yeah, it looked bad. The blood had crusted cruelly, in a way that Noel kind of imagined as a giant scab. His wing was no better - the down feathers there had matted with blood. Noel took a small swab and tried his best to cleanse with with alcohol. Cody hissed harshly, his body tensing, but thankfully remained asleep. 

Noel redressed the wounds and prayed that his fever would go down. He decided he'd wait for Cody to eventually wake up before he got him to take any aspirin. Briefly, he debated on grabbing his extra blanket from his closet, so he could go sleep on the couch, but. . .something prevented him from wanting to stray too far from Cody. Maybe it was the fact that he had a life-threatening fever. Maybe it was the fact that he wanted to be there in case something happened.

Maybe it was because he really, really cared about him. 

As he laid down in the small space between the end of the bed and Cody's wing, he thought to himself, _Dude. You met the guy today! Not even twelve hours ago! What's with you, man?_

But part of him. . .part of him wanted to protect Cody at all costs. He didn't care if those scientists came back looking for him - they could fuck off, because he was a living being, and he didn't deserve to be caged. Send the whole _goddamn government_ after his ass. 

Noel would _never_ let him go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise it'll pick up eventually   
> i usually write a lot better and in a lot more detail but i was so excited to write it that i just kinda kept typing until i finished the chapter lol


	4. Chapter 4

Noel woke up blearily, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He'd slept like shit, waking up periodically whenever he felt Cody shift in his sleep. Now, he lay still, his breathing even, his fever having dropped some. He was facing Noel, his face peaceful and back to its usual color. 

Noel sat up, feeling his back crackle. He had been in a really odd position, due to trying to avoid all fifteen feet of Cody's wings. He remembered vaguely nearly falling off of the bed. Cody's a total bedhog. 

A quick glance out the window told him that it was relatively early in the morning, the sky was light blue, but the sun had yet to show itself. 

He heard a deep, surprised inhale, and then a groan. He turned to see Cody rubbing his eyes and blinking blearily. "Where - ?" He met eyes with Noel and relaxed a bit. "Oh." 

"What, forgot where you were?" Noel teased, slipping out of the bed. 

"No, I just. . .I've never slept on something so comfortable before." He sat up and winced. 

Noel nodded, grabbing a fresh T-shirt and sweatpants from his closet. "How are you feeling?" 

"Better. I don't remember all that happened." He delicately touched his shoulder. "Doesn't hurt so much anymore. . .and my wing is sore but I can move it, at least." 

"Good. Think you can hold down some breakfast and some aspirin?" 

"Yeah." Cody stood and stretched, and Noel marveled at the sight of both of his wings stretching to their full height. "Also, if you wouldn't mind, uh, taking me somewhere I can, like, fly around? Doesn't have to be anyplace that's out in the open, but. I'm feeling a little antsy." 

"Oh, sure, dude." He paused. "I know a little secluded beach like forty minutes away. No people allowed. Just gotta get over the fence."

Cody smiled warmly. "Thanks. I know this isn't convenient for you." 

"It's no problem, dude. It's Saturday. I'm off." 

"Off?" Cody quirked his head to the side in a way that was reminiscent of a dog. Noel smiled. 

"I don't have work today and tomorrow. We can do whatever you want." _Noel, you absolute corny ass motherfucker._

If anything, that only made Cody beam harder. "Just flying is okay. I'm still a little tired."

"That's fine. We'll head out after breakfast. The earlier, the better, so no one'll see us." 

Noel ordered their breakfast via DoorDash. Cody wolfed his pancakes down like he'd never eaten before ("What? Having a fever really takes it out of you!") and then they prepared to leave. He cut two large slits in the back of one of his older shirts and helped Cody put it on around his wings. His shoes didn't fit Cody's feet - they were a size bigger - but Cody explained that he didn't mind being barefoot. Because Noel couldn't bear leaving Ollie behind, or leaving him by himself at all, he brought him with them. 

They'd gotten to Noel's car when he remembered something.

"Are you gonna be able to, like, sit down? With your wings?" 

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He folded them so they were close to his back. He touched the long, white feathers at the bottom of them. "These are just feathers, so they're flexible. No bone here." 

"As long as you're comfortable." 

They settled in, Ollie sitting on Noel's lap. He eyed Cody for a moment before he leapt over the gear shift and onto Cody's thighs, standing on his hind legs to stare out the window.

"He's starting to like you," Noel snickered, starting the engine. Cody looked confused, and kind of frightened. "Go ahead, pet him. He likes that." 

Cody hesitantly touched the top of Ollie's head with his fingers. He smiled. "He's soft." 

Ollie made an appreciative noise. Cody scratched behind his ears. The scene was so soft that Noel didn't realize he was staring until Cody gave him a quizzical look. 

"Oh! Sorry." He put the car in gear and began driving. 

"So. 'S there anything else I should know about you?" 

"What do you want to know?" Cody was pressing the window button, making it go up and down. 

"Well, biological stuff, I guess. Do you have any other bird-like features or anything? Sorry if it's a weird question, it's kind of interesting to me." 

"It's fine. Uh, there aren't a whole lot of other things that are different. I'm only three percent avian. Besides my wings, my bone density is really weird, so I'm really light. My bones have, like, pockets of air in them, so I can fly easily enough to avoid straining my wings." 

Noel recalled how lightweight Cody was when he'd carried him back to his apartment. "Huh. Does that mean they're fragile? Like prone to breaking easily?" 

"Not anymore. My body adapts to my environment relatively easily, since there are only a few others in my species. Like an accelerated evolution." 

"Ah. What else?" 

He paused to think. "There's the metabolism thing. I have to eat a lot. I heal quickly as well. I can't preen on my own, so Kelsey usually did it for me. . ." He trailed off. "Uh. Yeah. That's about it." 

"Hm. That's kinda cool. How fast can you fly?" 

"Depends. My wings don't move as fast as an actual bird's. Lot more muscle involved, and I've been known to sprain the joints every once in a while if I push too hard." A sheepish look. "I do it a lot." 

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to _mother hen_ you if you do." Noel smiled slyly, and Cody groaned at the joke. "So. I guess it's dumb to ask whether or not you lay eggs or not."

Cody burst into laughter. "What? No! I'm pretty sure we have kids like any other mammal. I think. I don't know, I've never asked." 

"What about nests?" 

Cody pursed his lips at him. "This is starting to feel strangely racist." 

"I'm just kidding! Kind of. But be prepared to be subject to my jokes, bird boy." 

"Whatever, dude," Cody said, and Noel noted how he'd picked up on his dialect. "But we can sometimes nest when we're stressed out. I've only done it once."

"Cute," Noel murmured before he could catch it. Cody didn't seem to notice, if the casual shrug he gave was anything to go by. 

"Just makes me feel safe, I guess." Cody squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them, making a discomforted noise. "Are you supposed to feel dizzy in a car?" 

"No, not usually. Why, are you carsick?" 

"Is that what this is?" He rubbed his forehead, took a deep breath. "I feel. . .gross." 

"Yeah, you're probably used to flying. Being in a vehicle is probably hell on your inner ears." Noel glanced over at him and noticed that he was rapidly getting paler. Ollie, sensing distress, whined. Sudden visions of having to scrape Cody's breakfast off of his nice pleather sheets flashed in his mind. "Yo, if you puke in my car - " 

"I won't! I just. . ." He stopped talking suddenly. 

"Oh, no. No, no, no. Here." Noel reached over and yanked the glove box open, pulling out a handful of peppermints. "Suck on these. They'll help." 

Cody hurriedly unwrapped one and popped it in his mouth. He sighed. "Thank you." 

"You're welcome. I used to get carsick. Peppermints saved my life. You'll get used to it eventually." 

"I hope so." He fidgeted. "I wish I could just fly everywhere. I'm still human. . .ish. I just have wings. That shouldn't be so weird." He was staring out the window. "I'm tired of being caged," he murmured. 

Noel's heart panged with sadness. It wasn't fair that Cody had to feel that way, especially after escaping a life of imprisonment. But he knew that if Cody were able to fly freely, he'd be a spectacle, a "freak," and soon, they'd find him again, and no doubt spend the rest of his life being experimented on. 

_I won't let that happen_ , Noel thought, gripping his steering wheel tighter. _They're not gonna take him away._

"Well," Noel said softly, "if it makes you feel any better, we're almost there. About ten minutes away. It's really pretty during this time of day, too." 

Cody gave a small smile. "Well, it makes me feel a little better."

"Ah, see? Don't worry, man. It'll work out okay." 

They rode the rest of the way in relative silence. Noel pulled into a parking lot partially covered in sand. A few feet ahead lie a tall, wire fence. Beyond that was the ocean, waves lapping silently, and the sun was just on the horizon. 

"Woah," Cody said in awe. He opened the car door and got out, and Noel couldn't help but chuckle at his excitement. He turned off the engine and stood beside Cody outside of the car, just watching the water. He let his eyes wander to Cody's sandy brown hair, which glowed like his wings in the morning sun. Ollie yipped, excited, and slipped under a small opening in the fence to chase an unsuspecting seagull. 

"Oh wait, yeah. We still gotta get over the fence." 

Cody turned and grinned at him.

"What?" 

"I think I can help with that." His wings unfurled and spread, flapping slowly. 

"Oh, no. Bruh. I do _not_ do heights." 

"Awe, come on! It'll be fun. I'll hold onto you." Cody hovered a few feet off of the ground. The force of his wings sent sand scattering along the ground, and hit Noel with a hefty blast of air. 

"Nope, no, uh-uh, Cody, don't you - ah!" 

Cody grabbed Noel under his armpits and lifted off. The undignified yelp escaped him as soon as his feet were no longer touching the ground, scrabbling helplessly, his heart pounding in his ears. Cody's grip was firm and sure, and before he knew it, they were on the other side, his sneakers sinking into the sand. 

Cody let him go as he caught his breath and resumed hovering a few feet in front of him, smirking. "See? That wasn't so bad!" 

"I fucking hate you, dude." 

Cody winked, and with a quick snap of his wings, took off several feet in the air, and towards the ocean. It was Noel's turn for his mouth to drop in awe. Cody was soaring, twirling and flipping gracefully in the air, moving through the ocean winds like it was fluid. His silhouette, with the backdrop of the golden sun behind him, made him look almost angelic. He heard him whooping and hollering, and the beam of his smile shone down on Noel, who stood dumbfounded on the sand. 

"You sure you don't wanna come up here?" Cody shouted, his hair tousled and wild. 

"Nah, I like my feet planted firmly on the ground," Noel yelled back up to him, "but have fun. I'll be right here."

"Suit yourself!" And he was off again, gliding over the ocean. He dipped low, tips of his wings gliding against the surface of the water. 

"Now you're just showing off!" 

Cody's laughter rang through the expanse of the beach. Noel sighed, held his hand up to shield his eyes from the rising sun. 

He hated to make a cliche angel comparison, but someone, or something, had sent Cody to him, and he couldn't be more grateful. Although, ironically, he'd been the one to save Cody, so who was whose guardian? 

_Mutual guardianship_ , Noel's mind supplied.

_That's a relationship, dumbass_ , he thought back to the voice. 

A pause.

_Exactly._


	5. Chapter 5

They were back in Noel's car. Cody seemed to be glowing, flushed with exertion but smiling. 

"I take it the wing's okay?" Noel asked as he buckled in and started the car.

"Still a bit sore, but nothing I can't handle. Although, the gauze is starting to come off. Sorry." 

"It's fine, dude. I need to redress it anyway." He paused. "I should also probably stop at the store for groceries. You'll have to stay in here, though." Noticing the way Cody's eyes cut away from him, he added quickly, "To watch Ollie. I can't bring him in there with me." 

"I can do that." He petted Ollie affectionately. The dog in question blinked up at Cody with that same bright intelligence that Noel had never seen prior to meeting the winged man. Cody's eyes flashed with something knowing, like they had an unspoken secret. 

It creeped him out a little.

Noel pulled onto the road and tried to think about what store was closest. It was probably about a thirty minute drive. "What do you like to eat, dude?" 

"I like pizza." He hummed. "And pancakes."

"I know you do. Besides that." 

A thoughtful pause. "Uh. I don't know. I haven't tried much." 

"What all did you eat at the facility?" 

"Whatever kept us in peak physical condition. Mostly protein. Meats, nuts, leafy greens. That stuff. I know about other food, but I've never tried it." 

"Dude. You've never had junk food?" 

Cody shook his head. 

"Oh, man. I'm about to get you hip right now." 

* * *

When Noel returned to his car with bags of groceries in each hand, Ollie was standing in the driver's seat, tail wagging eagerly, and Cody was staring out the window with a similar curious expression. Noel dropped his bags in the trunk and gently removed Ollie from his seat.

"What did you get?" Cody asked him. 

"You'll see." At his vague tone of voice, Cody wrinkled his nose.

"Should I be scared? I feel like I should be scared." 

"Maybe a little." He smirked in Cody's direction, and they were off. 

* * *

Ollie scuttled inside the apartment and made a beeline for his foodbowl as soon as Noel opened the door. He and Cody set the grocery bags down heavily on the counter. 

"We're gonna pig out and watch TV," Noel stated firmly. 

"What're we gonna watch?" Cody asked, peeking into one of the bags.

Noel smiled and snatched the bag away, wagging his finger. "No peeking. And we'll find something. You can flip through channels while I make us lunch." He went and leant over the couch for the remote, sticking out of the couch cushions. He dropped it in Cody's hands. Cody raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Uh. . ." 

"Point it at the TV and press this button." 

The screen flickered on. The last thing Noel had been watching was apparently National Geographic. Two lions faught mercilessly under the voice of a British narrator. 

"Then these arrows mean you can change the channel." 

"I. . .think I kinda wanna watch this," Cody said, his eyes transfixed on the battle for dominance occuring. 

Noel shrugged. "Suit yourself. But if it gets gory, then we have to change it." He couldn't, _wouldn't_ , do blood while he was eating. 

Cody plopped down on the couch, staring at the screen. Noel prepared and laid out the various ingredients for their lunch. 

Thirty minutes later, he produced two plates of hefty burgers with a side of fries. He'd really been sticking to a strict diet, but somehow he felt more comfortable around Cody, and one cheat meal couldn't hurt. He didn't know what Cody liked on his burgers - or what he ate, really - so he stuck to the basics: cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup. 

He offered the plate to Cody, who accepted it with wide, hungry eyes, and sat down next to him. The documentary had moved from lions to birds. 

_Naturally_ , Noel thought to himself with a smile.

"This smells _so_ good," Cody gasped, practically drooling. "It's a, um. . ."

"You got it," Noel encouraged. 

"A. . .it's a burger, right? And fries." 

"Yep. Been really craving 'em lately. Got tired of grilled chicken and vegetables. Sometimes you just - you wanna maybe _breathe_ first dude?" 

Cody was already very nearly halfway through his burger. He stopped and stared at Noel with wide, innocent eyes. He had ketchup under his nose. 

"Huh?" 

"I - nevermind." He shook his head fondly. He couldn't even be bothered to be perplexed anymore. "Whatcha watchin'?" 

"The Wahlberg's eagle," Cody murmured, mouth full of food. " _Hieraaetus wahlbergi_. Bird of prey native to sub-saharan Africa from the _accipitridae_ family. Named after Johan August Wahlberg - " 

"Holy shit, man, I'm not gonna quiz you over it." 

Cody swallowed, looking sheepish. "Sorry. I was trained to absorb a lot of information in a small amount of time and kind of spew it back out if asked." 

"Kind of like Siri," Noel muttered, digging into his own meal.

"Hmm?" 

"Nothing. That reminds me. I hope this isn't, like, an offensive thing to ask, but where do your wings originate from?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"Like - uh. Where your, like. . .the. . ." He gestured awkwardly, suddenly embarrassed. "What. . .bird. . ."

Cody nodded. "I get it. I think mine is a mix of different bird species to keep them strong. Ravens and hawks definitely define my wing shape. The color I'm not so sure about." 

"I wonder if it's like a hair color thing." Cody's hair was the same golden brown in the sunlight as his wings. In a darker setting, like the artificial lights of Noel's apartment, they were a dark chestnut color. The feathers along the bottom ridge of his wings were startlingly long and white. 

"I guess it could be, but Kelsey's wings are white and her hair is dark brown." He frowned a bit, and Noel could feel the distress suddenly wafting off of him. Ollie, who had been sleeping soundly at Cody's feet, lifted his head and whined. 

Noel placed a hesitant but comforting hand on Cody's shoulder. His feathers bristled, but he didn't move away. "I'm sure she's fine. You'll see her again. I promise." 

It wasn't much, Noel knew that, he was shitty at consoling. But Cody seemed to accept it, nodding a little and smiling tightly, his eyes downcast. "I hope so." 

Satisfied, Noel started to pull his hand away, but Cody's hand came up and grabbed it. He squeezed it. Noel got the hint, and left his hand there. 

He awkwardly finished the rest of his food with one hand, but the way Cody's shoulders relaxed slowly was well worth it.

In a comfortable silence, they sat and watched the birds dancing around each other on the screen. Soon, the documentary ended, and on came the next one. 

"Want dessert?" Noel asked softly, like he'd disturb the quiet they had. 

"Dessert?" He could see the wheels turning in Cody's head, tasting and evaluating the unfamiliar word.

"I bought cake." He grinned. "Only if you're up for it." 

"Oh, I'm definitely up for more." 

Noel took their plates and cut two slices of red velvet cake. He made his slimmer because he was erring on a full stomach. Cody got a bigger piece, because he was a human vacuum. 

When he returned to the couch, Cody was flipping through channels. He settled on CBS, which was airing an episode of _Love Island_.

Noel groaned. "Ugh, turn this shit off, I hate this damn show." 

Cody pouted. "But it's the only interesting thing on!" 

"Cody, it's so stupid." 

"It can't be that bad." 

Noel handed him his plate and fork and said, "Cody, watching this show made my IQ drop by like forty points. It's such a stupid show." 

Cody continued to pout. 

_God damn it_. "Okay, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." 

Cody's little smile of victory made it worth the torture. 

"What is this again? Cake?" Cody poked the red, spongy slice with his fork, seemingly intrigued by the fluffy texture.

"Mmhmm, red velvet. Try it, you'll like it." 

Cody scooped a piece onto his fork and took a bite. His eyes closed, and the sound he made was sinful enough to send blood rushing to Noel's face.

"Oh wow," Cody sighed, "this is good. _Really_ good." 

Noel watched as he shoveled down a few more bites. There was cream cheese icing gathering on his upper lip, and he desperately wanted to lick it off, taste how sweet his mouth was.

He shoved the thought out of his head and directed his attention to _Love Island_ to distract himself. It worked. 

By the end of the episode, they both sat back against the couch cushions, sated.

Cody turned to Noel and said, "I think that was the best thing I've ever watched in my life." 

"Bruh, really?" 

"It has a charm to it, Noel, give it a chance." 

"Hell no. I'd rather light my own eyebrows on fire. I feel dumber already. What's two plus two? I don't even know. _Love Island_ ruined my brain." 

Cody was giggling, a lovely, melodious sound that made Noel smile hard. "It's not that bad!" 

"That's your opinion. You can't change mine."

"I can try." He gave a wry smirk, and fuck, the challenge in his eyes made Noel swallow hard. 

"Man, if you somehow get me to like _Love Island_ , I will do whatever you want."

"You're on." 

Noel laughed and stood up. Stretching, he gave a satisfied sound when his joints gave a muted pop. "Okay. I've got to change your dressing. Take your shirt off - " he tripped over his words a bit, clearing his throat " - and I'll go get the gauze." 

Noel ducked into his bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror for a second, finding himself wondering for the fifteenth time what he'd gotten himself into. Having Cody was dangerous - not only because he was technically "owned" by the government, but because he was having to nearly physically restrain himself from jumping the guy's bones. He'd never been so crazy over a person before, let alone a person he'd met less than a week prior. 

He shook his head, reaching into the cabinet for the roll of gauze and the bottle of alcohol. 

When he returned to his living room, Cody was halfway in his shirt, trying to get his wings out of it. Ollie was sitting up and watching him struggle, his head cocked to the side in amusement. Noel smiled.

"Hold on dude, let me help before you hurt yourself." 

Cody sighed and relented, letting Noel carefully slide the shirt off his wings. A feather came off with Noel's gentle tugs and landed on the carpet. He winced. 

Freed from their temporary confines, Cody's wings flexed and relaxed. The gauze had come loose in ribbons. Noel gently unwrapped it. 

He stared.

Cody frowned. "What?" 

"I - " Noel blinked. "It's - it's gone." 

"What's gone?" 

"The - your gunshot wound, dude. It's not _there."_

Cody glanced idly at his shoulder. "Oh. It's about time." He flexed his arm, grinning. 

"What the - a chunk of your _actual_ skin was gone! No way it could have healed that fast. That's humanly impossible." 

Cody just raised his eyebrows at him, spreading his wings above his head, staring at Noel in a "Uh, hello?" manner.

". . .right. Forgot about that. Still, though." He ran his fingertips along the newly healed skin, which was pink in a way that reminded him of a sunburn. 

Cody's eyes slipped closed and he shuddered. Noel yanked his hand away like it was on fire. 

"Sorry," Noel murmured, his ears tinged pink. 

"No worries. It's just, uh, still sensitive." 

"Ah." 

A silence stretched over them. Noel, in order to distract himself, snuck a look over at the clock above his oven. It was only four o' clock.

"I think I'll take a nap," Noel said. "I'm tired." 

"Really?" Cody turned and looked at the clock. "It's not even five yet." 

"I know, but eating a lot makes me tired." He wasn't lying. He was comfortably drowsy and sated, and waking up after a big meal was always refreshing.

Cody made an affirmative noise. "Well. Okay. But, can I ask you something kind of weird?" 

"Sure." 

"Can you. . ." he gestured at his shoulder. "Um. . ." 

"What, give you a massage?" Noel laughed. Cody didn't laugh with him. He stopped. "Oh. Oh, you're serious."

"It was stupid, I'm sorry, that's weird," Cody said dismissively, his face scarlet. 

"No! No, no, that's. I can do that. Just, are you sure that it doesn't hurt?"

"No, it's just sensitive." 

"Okay, uh, how do you wanna do this? Should I stand back here, or. . .?" 

"Yeah, you're good there." Cody turned so his back was facing Noel. He spread his wings a bit, so they relaxed against the back cushions and stretched along the span of the couch.

Noel's hands hesitated. But after five seconds of hovering them over Cody's skin, he dragged his fingers over the freshly healed flesh. Cody shivered and hissed quietly, his back arching away. 

"It kind of tickles," Cody said, giggling.

"Sorry. I'll be more. . .massage-y."

He applied a bit of pressure from his fingertips. Cody sighed and rolled his shoulders back into the weight of Noel's hands. Noel, with a dry mouth, watched the muscle flex and relax. 

He worked into a rhythm, squeezing and rubbing. Cody's head had fallen back a bit, his lips parted. Noel must have hit a sore spot, because Cody gasped and made an involuntary "mmm" sound of relief. 

"God, there." 

Noel was sweating. He swallowed. "W-what?" 

"That spot there. Just - " 

"Oh. Oh, okay." He dug his thumb into the muscle there. "Here?" 

Cody hissed again _. "Yes."_

The pang that shot through Noel's core was enough to cause him to close his eyes and inhale deeply. He couldn't take much more of this. He took his hands away. 

He was glad the couch was high enough to hide how achingly hard he was in his pants. 

"Well, this was. Ahem. Think I'll, uh, sleep now. Goodnight." 

Cody's quizzical look only made him feel even more embarrassed. Noel slipped into his bedroom, clicked the door shut, crawled into his bed and craved sweet, sweet death.

His erection screamed at him. Thoughts of Cody's little satisfied noises, his drawn-up eyebrows, his parted pink lips invaded his mind. He breathed meditated breaths into his pillow, fighting the urge to hump into his mattress like he was fourteen again. 

He refused. Absolutely refused to jack off to a guy he barely knew. It was wrong. It was weird. He was in the next room. He couldn't possibly do that. 

He waited until it flagged. He felt vaguely proud of himself.

His mind clear of the dirtiness, Noel was hit with different invasive thoughts. Cody's wound has healed nearly completely. He'd told Cody he'd have to stay with him until he healed. Did that mean that Cody would leave immediately? Surely, he wouldn't just up and disappear. Right? Even if he did, where would he go? 

Most likely, he'd return to the facility for Kelsey. And what after that? Would he break them out? Would he be recaptured? Where would he start his new life as winged man and woman? 

_Kelsey_. The name made him frown. He wasn't jealous. He didn't even know her. But. . .the way Cody talked about her. . .

He tossed onto his side and sighed, forcing himself not to think about it. He knew Cody cared for her a great deal. He couldn't keep Cody from going back into the line of fire to save her. He was determined to do it, despite the danger and possibilities. 

Noel stared hard at the wall, the sun casting a shadow from his blinds, and settled on a decision.

He was going to help Cody.


End file.
